ISC Title Transfer Fee in Saskatchewan: How It Is Calculated

If you are buying a home in Saskatchewan, you may have heard that there is no land transfer tax like the ones in some other provinces. That is mostly right, but there is still a government fee when title moves into your name, and it needs a place in your closing budget.

This article explains how that fee is generally calculated, who normally pays it, and how to confirm the exact amount for your purchase before you close.

This article covers the law of Saskatchewan.

Is there a land transfer tax in Saskatchewan?

CMHC's provincial fact sheet lists no land transfer tax for Saskatchewan. Instead, there is a provincial fee to transfer property, and that fee is based on the property's value.

CMHC states the fee as 0.3% of value for properties valued at $8,800.01 or more. When and how the fee is paid on your purchase is worth confirming with a lawyer.

How the fee is calculated

CMHC states the transfer fee as 0.3% of value for properties valued at $8,800.01 or more. For a property valued below that amount, the rate that applies is worth confirming with the registry or a lawyer.

Notice that the fee is described as based on the property's value. In many sales the value and the purchase price will be close, but your lawyer can confirm which figure is used on your transfer.

Published rates and fee schedules can change, and different sources may quote different figures. Before you rely on any number, confirm the current schedule with the registry or your lawyer.

It helps to treat any figure you find online as a starting estimate rather than a final answer. A rate quoted in a general fact sheet may not match the schedule the registry applies on your closing date, so a written estimate from the person handling your purchase is the safest number to budget with.

Who pays the fee and what else is charged

Your offer to purchase decides who pays what. In a standard Law Society offer-to-purchase template, each party pays their own lawyer, and the purchaser pays the Land Titles Registry fees to register the property in the purchaser's name and to register the purchaser's mortgage.

• The title transfer fee, based on the property's value.
• Registry fees to register your mortgage, if you have one.
• Your own lawyer's account, since each party pays their own lawyer in the standard template.

If your offer uses different wording, the answer can differ, so read the clause on closing costs carefully before you sign.

Other closing costs, such as adjustments between buyer and seller, depend on your contract and your situation. A lawyer can walk through the full list with you so that nothing surprises you on closing day.

Checking the title before you close

ISC Quick Search finds currently active titles by parcel number, title number, owner name or land description. You can view a title image or request a certified print. It does not show previous owners or interests that were removed, which the advanced Search tool covers.

On a title, mortgages and liens appear as registered interests, and a title lock is a prohibition on the title. These matter because they affect what you are actually buying, not just what you will pay in fees.

Judgments are tracked separately in the Judgment Registry. That is one reason a title image alone may not tell you everything about a property.

Sometimes an old registered interest is still showing. Under the Land Titles Regulations, 2001, the Registrar can issue a notice that a registered interest will lapse 30 days after the notice is sent unless a court order extending the registration is registered. After that, the Registrar registers a discharge on application if no extending order is registered. Whether this applies to a particular title is something your lawyer can confirm.

What to do next

• Ask your lawyer for a written estimate of the title transfer fee and registry fees.
• Confirm which value the fee will be based on.
• Check your offer to see who pays registry fees.
• Budget separately for your lawyer's account and any mortgage registration.
• Re-check the current fee schedule shortly before closing.

Gather your offer to purchase, any mortgage approval and the title details for the property before you speak with a lawyer. With those in hand, you can ask direct questions about fees, the value used for the transfer, and anything on the title that looks unfamiliar.

Frequently asked questions